Religious Research

Religious Research

Bönism in Encounter with Buddhism

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Sajad Dehganzadeh 1
nayyer moeeni 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Religions and Mysticism, Azarbaijan shahid madani university, Tabriz, Iran
2 MA in Religions and Mysticism, Azarbaijan shahid madani university, Tabriz, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2024.379136.2085
Abstract
"Bönism" is a technical term used to describe the "indigenous religion of Tibet," which, while influenced by Buddhist teachings, transformed from a purely ritualistic and primitive faith into a secret and philosophical doctrine. Despite opposing views, the impact of secretive Buddhism (Vajrayāna) in Tibet has been significant enough that Tibetan scholars now speak of both pre-Buddhist and post-Buddhist forms of "Tibet’s indigenous religion." This study, using a descriptive-analytical approach, aims to identify the gradually systematized foundations of Bönism and analyze the key outcomes of its encounter with secretive Buddhism. The findings suggest that shamanism, animism, elaborate sacrifices, sky burial, extreme mysticism, adherence to magical practices, mythic/organic cosmological views, as well as a growing emphasis on the body and attention to instincts, can be considered the theoretical and practical foundations of the orthodox form of the Bön faith. These aspects were philosophically and mystically shaped due to the spread of the teachings of Buddhism in Tibet, especially through a wise figure named Tonpa Shenrab. On the other hand, the Bön faith was influenced by Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhist teachings during its process of indigenization, increasing its focus on mystical, disciplinary, and ritual aspects. Moreover, the formation of Tibetan Buddhism, or Lamaism, is one of the most important consequences of the encounter between Tantric Buddhism and Bönism. Interestingly, Bönism was neither simply a sect of Buddhism nor a complete representation of indigenous Tibetan beliefs, but rather an eclectic religion that inherited teachings from both Buddhism and Bönism, growing in parallel with the two.
Keywords
Bön religion
shamanism
Vajrayāna
Tibetan Buddhism
Subjects
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